An Anticipated Adventure
by AwkwardBookWorm
Summary: Ellewa Gorkroger has lived in the shire with her aunt and uncle for her whole life. Shunned by all but one of the inhabitants of The Shire because of her heritage, she lived her life through the adventures in books. What happens when an opportunity presents itself to go on an adventure like she'd always dreamed about?
1. Prologue

**Just an idea I had. I'm posting this to see what people think of my OC Ellewa. Please review, I'd love to hear what I can do to make her better! :)**

Prologue

_"No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time."_  
><em>―Lewis Carroll<em>

A small smile tugged at her lips as she walked through the forest, the rabbits she had recently caught slung over her shoulder and thudding against her shoulder blade as she walked. She liked the forest because it was the only place she could go without the whispers following her. She could walk with her head held up high not recoiling from the burning stares that were shot her way. She could breathe. Granted the whispers weren't as bad as they were when her aunt and uncle were still alive, and she had gotten used to being outcast from the place she called home but it still wasn't a joy.

She broke through onto a narrow, thoroughly walked path that she knew led to the market in the centre of The Shire. As soon as her feet crossed the invisible barrier that marked the edge of the forest the smile slipped away and the constriction of her chest returned. Ellewa carried on walking her head dropped slightly and her shoulders hunched. She could hear the chatter and laughter of the hobbits up ahead and knew that as soon as she was noticed a lot of the conversations would drop into hushed, not-quite-whispered, exchanges.

It was to be expected though. It was obvious she wasn't like the others and her heritage had been subject of discussion throughout Hobbiton for years. A half dwarf-half hobbit was not a usual combination. Still she was one of the few living in the Shire that hunted and she knew that providing the meat was a big help. So, she would go hunting and bring whatever she managed to find to the market to be sold. She had also gotren into the habit of selling her seed-cakes. Though most hobbits hated to admit it they were a large reason, perhaps the only reason, why most of them acted civil towards her.

Ellewa had rounded the corner, darting around a few hobbits and their children, and was assaulted with the image of the busting market full of happy, content families. She felt that familiar twinge in her chest but brushed it off as usual. She was about to seek out the stall she needed when a recognizable head of curly hair caught her attention.

With a frown she tentitively made her way towards the hobbit. It was plain to see he was hiding from something behind Mr Worrywort.  
>Crouching behind him she leaned closer to whisper to him. "Bilbo? What are you doing?"<p>

Bilbo jumped with a start before looking around and hurrying her away across the bridge."Shh, Elle. I'm hiding."

"From who?" She asked as she followed the anxious hobbit towards his hole.

He didn't answer her but merely glanced around, looking for all the world like he was scared something was going to jump out of the bushes and nab him. "Have you seen a wizard around here?"

"A wizard? What is a wizard doing in the Shire?" Ellewa remembered only one wizard in all of her time in The Shire and he hadn't been back in quite some time. His fireworks were wonderful.

"He's looking for an adventure! An adventure!" Bilbo squawked. He looked positively outraged. "Nasty things adventures."

Ellewa had always dreamed of going on an adventure. A proper adventure, not just the ones in her books. An adventure with unknown lands and non-imagined people. "An adventure?" She tried not to sound too excited about it, Bilbo obviously wasn't as enthralled by the idea as she was.

"Yes!" He was about to say something else when it appeared that he had seen something out of the corner of his eye. He took off a bit faster, almost running back to his hobbit hole.

"Bilbo! Wait!" Ellewa called before running after him.

It didn't take long for her to catch up with him and soon they were stood in front of his round green door. Bilbo took a moment to calm down before he turned to her. "Can you believe it...asking a hobbit on an adventure!" He shook his head in disbelief, a harsh laugh disturbing the serenity of Bag End.

"What kind of adventure?" She ventured after the pause in conversation.

"Not a good one, I can tell you that! Not that there is a _good _adventure."

"Bilbo, sit down for a while." Elle told him with a smile guiding him to the small bench outside his house.

"Elle..." He sighed. "Would you like to come in for some tea?"

"I-" She was about to readily accept his offer when something caught her attention. A mark had been carved into Bilbo's door. She was sure he hadn't seen it, he would be even more distressed if he had. Ellewa had always known that her mother was a dwarf and had taken it upon herself to learn as much about dwarves as she could. While she couldn't learn their language (not through lack of trying, she just didn't know any dwarves that could teach her. The language was very sacred.) she knew a dwarven symbol when she saw it and this was definitely a dwarven symbol.

A feeling like no other washed over Elle at that point. She stumbled over her feet as she turned away from the door.

"Elle?"

She shook her head, trying to focus on the fact that she hadn't answered Bilbo. Trying to keep her voice steady and not break out into a grin she called to him over her shoulder."I-I'm sorry Bilbo, I really must take these rabbits to the market." She tripped once again, catching herself on his gate. "Might it be alright if I come over later?"

Bilbo frowned up at her watching as she clumsily managed the wooden inconvenience. "Of course. Are you alright?"

"Quite." She replied, the smile no longer being held back. "Goodbye Bilbo!" She called racing off in the direction he knew lead to her own hobbit hole.

"Goodbye- Elle!" Bilbo shot up as he saw her fall over but neglected to move once he saw her pull herself up and break out once again into a run.

Dwarves were coming to the Shire. More importantly, dwarves were coming to Bilbo's house. And most importantly, they were bringing an adventure.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_"Home isn't a place, it's a feeling." - Cecelia Ahern, Love Rosie_

An adventure! An adventure! Ellewa didn't care what she had to do to go on this adventure she was going. She was part dwarf and she would be damned if she didn't get to spend at least a moment of her life with her race. She was sick of being in the Shire where she was judged and ridiculed just because her mother and father had found each other.

She needed to go on this adventure. It was her only way out. If she didn't leave she was going to be stuck here for the rest of her life. She didn't have the means or courage to leave by herself. Plus it would be nice to meet someone with a life span similar to hers. She'd seen her aunt and uncle die and had been informed that her mother had passed away shortly following Elle's father at the grief of losing her One. She didn't want to watch anyone else die.

It suddenly occurred to Ellewa as she walked through her little blue door in the side of the hill, picking up a plant pot that she had obviously knocked over that morning, that she was very grateful for having the fortune to meet Bilbo Baggins. He was an awfully special hobbit and Elle could feel something different about him. He was born for something. She could tell. It was obvious he was going to be the protagonist in a story, she'd read enough books to know. She supposed that she would at least get a sentence in his story which was good enough for her.

She picked up a few stray books that were littering her entryway and placed them on the precariously high stack next to an armchair opposite the fire. Her hobbit hole (it was originally her aunt and uncle's but she had lived there since before she could remember) was small but homely. There weren't many rooms but what rooms there were had books somewhere, even the kitchen. The living room was by far the worst though. It was an achievement to navigate the room without tripping. Truthfully, Ellewa hadn't mastered it herself which was made abundantly clear as she was sent flying when her foot caught on an especially thick book on the history of the Silvan Elves.

Ellewa managed to pick herself up and continued at her fast pace towards the study. She shuffled towards the far corner of the room where a large chest sat, covered in dust. It was the one area of her hobbit hole that was thoroughly neglected. The chest looked like it had some sort of disease leaving its radius full of dust and emptiness. Somehow, even her scattering of books had not disturbed the invisible bubble surrounding it.

Dropping to her knees, Ellewa fell before the chest. She had opened it only once since she had received it and that was only to quell her curiosity. With shaking hands she reached out to lift the latch on the chest. Her pulse had increased ten-fold and she thought that it was an odd thing for her heart to do. It was just a wooden box. Granted, it held the belongings of her mother and father that she had been sent accompanied with the news that they were no longer alive. But still, it was just a box.  
>Setting her shoulders she lifted the lid, coughing slightly as the smell of long forgotten memories wafted out of the chest in a plume. She dug through the items, stopping herself from lingering on anything until she found the pile of clothes she was looking for. They were quite obviously male dwarf clothes and Ellewa knew that upon leaving the Shire her mother had masqueraded as a male (It was safer that way). The clothes were going to be too big. Not too big that it was going to cause a problem but the kind of big that was accustomed to younger hobbits when their mother's dressed them. Lifting the chain mail, Ellewa's lips parted in surprise. It was beautiful. She'd never seen anything like it.<p>

She sat back on her heels when a thought came to her. She'd never be able to go on an adventure like this. They would never agree to take her. No male would agree to take a woman on an adventure hobbit, elf, or dwarf alike. With a sigh she returned to digging through the chest trying to find the pile of long strips of fabric that she knew were in there. Standing up she dropped her dress to the ground and began wrapping the pieces of fabric around her chest binding down the tell-tale sign of a woman. Once the bindings were firmly in place she reached into the chest, securing a small dagger in her grasp. With a shaking hand she made her way out into the entryway where a mirror hung on the wall. She took a lock of her soft auburn hair into her hand and raised the dagger. With a flick of her wrist she sliced through the hairs and the fiery flakes fluttered to the floor.

She was going to go on this adventure even if she had to become someone else.

* * *

><p>Dwarven armour was not the most comfortable of clothing. It was itchy and scratchy and heavy but she would learn to cope with it. She shifted the quiver of arrows that sat on her back along with her bow before raising a fist to knock on the green door before her.<br>The big brass knocker in the centre of the door was a sight she'd seen a lot as her friendship with Bilbo blossomed. Bilbo was a lovely hobbit and she spent many a day inside Bag End, drinking tea and reading. They were of kindred spirits, both loving the draw of a book and comfortable silence.

Bilbo's face appeared at the door looking more than slightly annoyed. By the smell coming from his kitchen he had just sat down for supper.

"I-hello." Bilbo muttered looking her up and down with a frown. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe I know you." It seemed her disguise was working.

"Bilbo." She smiled. "May I come in?"

The shock on Bilbo's face was evident but he stepped to the side anyway, allowing her to enter. "Elle? What are you doing? Why are you dressed like that? And what happened to your hair?"

Ellewa reached a hand up to tug at the short tufts of hair. The breeze she now felt was odd. "Bilbo, I'm certain you didn't notice, but there is a mark on your door. A dwarven mark."

"A mark? There is no mark. That door was painted a week ago!"

"I believe there are dwarves coming to your house." She told him, trying to stifle a giggle at the flustered hobbit. Although she would probably be just as angry if someone had marked her door without her knowledge.

"Dwarves? This is that wizards fault isn't it? Oh!" Bilbo began pacing frantically. "I will not have a bunch of dwarves at my house! I simply will not-" He was interrupted by a ring of the doorbell. Both Elle and Bilbo glanced towards the source of the noise.

With a sigh Bilbo hurried towards the door, pulling it open. Elle had to hold back a squeak of awe at the sight of a dwarf stood there. He was everything that she imagined and everything that she hadn't. He exuded an air of confidence and the tattoos that painted his bald head aided the fear he was sure to be instilling into Bilbo.

"Dwalin." He told Bilbo, bowing slightly. "At your service."

Bilbo fastened his dressing gown and glanced up at the tall figure. "Bilbo Baggins at yours."

Dwalin then proceeded to enter Bilbo's home, he stopped when he caught sign of Elle. Dwalin assessed her for a while, frowning. "And who are you? I didn't know of an extra in our company."

"Company?" Bilbo squawked. "There are going to be others?"

Dwalin ignored Bilbo, waiting for an answer from Elle. "My name is Ellewan." She told him, lowering her voice. She had practised it for a while at her own hole while she packed everything. (All adventures require supplies) She just hoped it was good enough to fool them. "I was passing through when I noticed the mark on the door. It is the mark of a quest if I am not mistaken. I would like to offer my services." She bowed like Dwalin had done at the door.

Dwalin continued scrutinising her, saying nothing. Without replying to her statements he moved towards Bilbo's kitchen. "So," He started turning to face the hobbit. "Where's the food?"

Bilbo scurried after him as he sat down at Bilbo's table in front of the meal that Bilbo had obviously cooked for himself. He devoured the meal quicker than anyone Elle had ever seen. She was equal parts awed and disgusted.

It was with one sentence however that Elle knew they were in for a long night. "Have you got anymore?"

* * *

><p>"Bilbo," Elle hissed at him as he ran around, shouting at the 12 dwarves that occupied his house to stop taking his food and moving furniture around. "They're destroying your house!"<p>

"My dear," Gandalf whispered leaning closer so as to make sure he wasn't overheard. Not that he would be with the noise the dwarves were making as they practically dismantled Bilbo's home. "you look just like your father." Gandalf straightened up looking at her with raised eyebrows and a knowing look. He knew. If Gandalf could see through it that easily who's to say none of the dwarves had?

At the look of worry on her face Gandalf let out a small chuckle. "Don't worry. No one else has noticed. It's rather a good disguise."

"Please don't tell the other dwarves..." She begged ducking as a plate was thrown over her head.

"I had no intentions of doing so. Everyone is entitled to secrets." The wizard told her with a wink. "It's a secret only you have the right to divulge and I trust you will when the time is right."

Elle was about to reply when Bilbo's angry cry stopped the words from spilling out. "That was my mother's!"

"Oh dear." She muttered before squeezing her way past the mass of dwarves to help her hobbit friend.

* * *

><p>Elle watched as Bilbo slumped against the wall looking wearier than a Took should. The dwarves had finally calmed down slightly, and were contained to the dining room where they were squashed around a table. Their hunger seemed sated, at least for the next few minutes and while they were still talking with loud voices and booming laughs it was much more subdued.<p>

Only one dwarf was being 'quiet' and that was the elderly white haired dwarf that went by the name of Balin. It seemed he was anxious for the last member, and probably the most important if the way the dwarves talked about him meant anything, to arrive.

"I will not allow another dwarf to set foot in my home." Bilbo told her with a tired sternness. "I will not allow it." His statement was followed by a knock on the door. Ellewa thought Bilbo might just fall to the floor and never get up.

A hush over took the dwarves as their gazes attached themselves to the door. Gandalf took the single step he needed to get closer to the object that now held everyone's attention, bending down to avoid hitting the lantern with his head. His fist closed around the knob and he pulled the door open.

Stood in the open doorway, crowned by the light coming from Bilbo's entryway, shadows filling in the harsh lines of his face, was the most commanding dwarf Ellewa had ever seen. His brows were furrowed, his eyes filled with a glowing royalty. This was definitely their leader. This dark brooding being before her was what she had always imagined dwarves to be. In all her stories, in all her books, he was how she pictured a dwarf. Terrifying and yet someone you would entrust your life to.

"Thorin Oakenshield." His rasping voice stated, before he dropped his head slightly in greeting. "At your service." His eyes swept across the members standing before him, paying little attention to those he knew. He looked down at Bilbo with another frown (Elle was starting to believe that was his only expression.) before stopping on her. "Gandalf?" He questioned, glancing up at the tall wizard.

Before Gandalf could offer an explanation, Elle stepped forward drawing Thorin's attention to her once again.

"Ellewan Gorkroger." She bowed deeply. "I offer my services to your company, in exchange for helping to reclaim my home."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**I am a completely horrible person, I know. I am so so so sorry for leaving it this long before updating. I just couldn't bring myself to continue but after seeing TBOFA I realised that this is a kind of way to keep in touch with the stories I love so much without making myself hate them by reading them again and again. (I don't think I could really ever hate them)**

**I'm not going to ask for reviews and whatnot because I really don't deserve it.**

**...but you can if you REALLY feel like it. I won't complain. **


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